


looking at you looking at me

by jadeparabatai



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cliche, Fluff, Idol Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, M/M, Vampire Mark Lee (NCT), Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadeparabatai/pseuds/jadeparabatai
Summary: “Does it bother you?” he asked.Donghyuk shook his head. “No, I’m just embarrassed I didn’t notice it earlier” he pouted. He leaned into the hug, then looked up at Mark.“Can I see your fangs?”When Mark Lee saves a boy from getting run over by a car, he wasn't expecting him to be a famous idol, nor was he expecting to fall in love.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 106





	looking at you looking at me

**Author's Note:**

> TW // small mention of blood, minor bloodsucking. 
> 
> Title comes from What We Talkin About - NCT 127

Mark was taking a late-night run to the 24/7 convenience store when he saw the boy. 

The boy was dressed inconspicuously in all black; a black puffy coat, sweatpants, a bucket hat obscuring his face, and even a black mask. He was like a walking mass of shadows. A walking mass of shadows that was about to be run over by a car. 

“Watch out!” Mark yelled. The boy must have had earphones in because he continued to cross the street. The car drew closer, its speed unnecessarily fast at 2 am. 

Cursing the 21st century and their wireless earphones, Mark ran at full speed at the boy. He managed to wrap his arms around the boy and swing him to the side. The car blared past, not even stopping to consider they had been about to run over someone. They had the audacity to honk at them. 

Mark looked at the boy he saved. He hoped he didn’t see Mark’s supernatural speed or that his eyes were an unnatural gold.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m alright” the boy answered, almost automatically. Then he looked around, blinking rapidly at the crossing he was standing before and back at Mark, “Holy shit, did I nearly get run over?”

“Yeah,” Mark said. The boy’s bucket hat had moved during the saving, revealing half the boy’s face. He was young, about Mark’s physical age, with warm brown eyes and long lashes. With his puffy jacket, the boy radiated warmth in the cold January weather. 

“You can let go now,” the boy said, nodding at Mark’s arms around him.

Mark let go and stepped back, clearing his throat. “Are you going somewhere? It’s dangerous to walk alone this late,” Mark said. He was ignoring that he was also walking alone at this hour. But he was a vampire. He could take care of himself. 

The boy raised his eyebrows, but he seemed mildly amused at Mark’s worrying. He shook his head. “I was just taking a walk to clear my head. I was heading back home anyway.”

“Okay, get home safe,” Mark said. He looked down at the bag of jelly he got from the convenient store. It was supposed to be for Jeno, but this boy had been nearly run over by a car. He handed the jelly to the boy. 

“Uh thanks,” the boy said. He tucked the jelly into the many pockets of his puffy jacket. “And thank you for saving me.” He waved, adjusted the bucket to obscure his face once more, and walked away. 

Mark looked at the figure walking away. His phone beeped, no doubt a text from Jeno about his (the sweet and sour jelly’s) whereabouts.

He shook away the lingering warmth from the boy and made his way back to the convenient store. 

* * *

Mark didn’t think much of the boy he had met that night. He was busy, trying to organize his life in Seoul. 

It was his first time back in Korea for about thirty years, having spent his time travelling in North America. He had to settle into his new apartment, his new job, and make rounds saying hello to the resident vampires in Seoul.

It was good to reunite with old friends, from Yuta who flirts outrageously to Lucas who had the wildest stories. Some he hadn’t seen in decades like Taeil, and some who he’d kept in touch like Doyoung, who always sent cards for birthdays, deathdays and special occasions. 

Being back with his clan brothers was always nice, and it had been a while since he saw them all together. He met Taeyong’s new boyfriend Jaehyun, who looked like he could pass off as a vampire himself with his chiselled jaw and charming dimples. Jaehyun had enthusiastically shaken Mark’s hand and told him that his dream was to design for amusement parks.

So, with everything on his mind, it was a surprise when he ran into the boy again. The boy was once again dressed in all black, except this time in a beanie than a bucket hat. 

“Hey, it's you!” Mark waved. 

The boy startled, looking around suspiciously until his eyes fell onto Mark. “Hi,” the boy waved back. 

“Are you okay?” Mark shuffled closer. The boy was looking over his shoulders like someone might see him. Strange, since there was no one around at 3 am in the morning. 

The boy smiled tightly at him. “I’m fine,” he said and turned to walk away. 

When the boy lifted his head, Mark could see his face more clearly. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, and the corner of his mouth was turned down. 

He didn’t seem fine. 

“Wait!” Mark exclaimed. The boy turned around with a raised eyebrow. Mark held up his plastic bag. “Do you want some bread?”

Gods, that sounded so stupid, he wanted to chide himself. Who says _do you want some bread_ to people they just met? And what was up with him and offering the boy food? But the boy seemed down and looked like he might need some company. 

Surprisingly, the boy nodded. “Yeah, I could use some carbs right now.”

“Great!” 

They sat at the bench facing the Han River. There was no one except for a stray jogger who passed by quickly. Mark handed a packet of bread to the boy. 

“What’s your name?” he asked.

The boy hesitated. “I’m H- I’m Lee Donghyuk. You?”

“I’m Mark,” he said. “Lee Donghyuk, what are you doing walking around so late?” 

Donghyuk took a bite of the bread. “What about you? Why are _you_ out this late?” 

Mark laughed, throwing his head back. _Touché._ “I like how peaceful it is. It can be so loud during the daytime.” He leaves out the fact he’s a vampire and very nocturnal. 

Donghyuk hums in agreement. “Me too. My job can be a bit much sometimes. The only time I can really be alone is late at night.”

“Oh? What do you do? Are you a student?” Mark asked. Donghyuk looked young enough to be one, about the same as Mark’s physical age. 

“Uh, yeah, kind of. We have a lot of training and stuff to do so it can be a bit intense,” Donghyuk said. “And we live in dorms, so that’s that.” 

“Oh?”

“I live with four other guys and its,” he pulled a face. “I mean don’t get me wrong, they’re my best friends so living with them is great. And Jaem, uh, Jaehyung is a great cook so that’s a plus. But ... we’re together 24/7 and it's frustrating sometimes.” Donghyuk sighed.

“I love my job and I can’t imagine my life not doing it, but it's hard. I want to be upset or cry like any other person, but I don’t want to affect team morale or burden them with anything else” Donghyuk said, swinging his legs and kicking at a stray rock. “They have their own thing to deal with. And they‘ve known me since elementary school so it's not like I can hide anything from them either.” 

“Oh,” Mark said. Donghyuk’s life seemed so different from his; from his death day, Mark’s existence had been tied to nothing. Sure, he had his brothers, but they were all free spirits, wandering around the world. He didn’t have the kind of intense relationships mortals like Donghyuk. They didn’t need to; they had eternity. 

“Yeah,” Donghyuk said, sinking into his parka. 

Mark broke the silence. “Hey, if you need someone to talk to, you can talk to me,” he said. 

“What?”

“Yeah! I know I’m a stranger, but it might help to talk to someone who doesn’t know everything as your friends do? And I'm always awake anyways.” Mark shrugged. “Here, give me your phone.” He typed in his number quickly, saving it under “Mark :)” 

Donghyuk clutched at his phone. “Thanks,” he said, smiling at Mark shyly. Underneath his beanie, Donghyuk had a smile that lit up his whole face. If Mark still had a beating heart, it would be racing. ( _Oh no_ ). 

Mark looked down at his phone and the new contact “Lee Donghyuk ʕ˙Ⱉ˙ʔ” and smiled back.

* * *

My hours tend to be whatever so don’t hesitate to text even if I don’t respond right away

But i’m usually awake at night

Are u allowed to be up this late?

Yes! My job is pretty flexible so usually I can go in whenever

Oh, thats different. For us we have all day schedules so we have to wake up early a lot

Oh no, go to sleep if you have a schedule tomorrow

Its fine

Donghyuk >:(

Hah! U used an emoji

Fineee but you owe me more bread next time we meet

:) 

Goodnight hyung

Goodnight donghyuk-ah! 

* * *

[picture of seohyun meme]

Who’s that?

???

Do you not know who that is?

No, is she an actress?

Did u live under a rock? How can u not know our lord and saviour snsd?

Ohh

Hey!

But i did live abroad for most of my life remember? 

Still! You’ve been in the country for months now

How do u not recognize any idols?

Hey! I know some

Okay?

Name one. One (1) group

…

3

2

Na jaemin

1

Does he count?

???

Wyd na jaemin? 

And that’s an idol member, not the group

… how do you know him anyways?

My friend is obsessed with him and the group. He doesn’t shut up about him

Actually, i might have a flyer here somewhere. I can probably get the name

No!

I mean, you don’t have to. I’ll give u partial credit for that one lol

You aren’t a complete hermit huh, mark lee

Thanks! 

* * *

[picture of Donghyuk with a V sign]

[picture of Donghyuk with a tilted V sign]

???

Hyung pick one

? 

Aren’t they the same?

Shh just pick one quick

Uh, the second one? You look cute

Ty!

? 

* * *

Mark’s impromptu offer led to a budding friendship. It started a little awkward with “how are you?” “I'm fine and you” texts, but they soon became comfortable with each other. Donghyuk came out of his shell to mercilessly tease Mark about his lack of Korean pop culture and Mark became his confidant. 

Donghyuk vented about his training and texted his funny anecdotes about his friends and dorm life. Mark told Donghyuk about his brothers and their antics. 

They met up for late-night walks, stopping by the convenient store to pick out snacks or walk along the Han river. Donghyuk was talkative, filling up space with his bright personality. Even though Donghyuk never missed a chance to tease him, Mark found it easy to talk to him.

After his time in North America (he called it wanderlust, his brothers called it his “sad isolation period”) Mark had never felt so alone. But being with Donghyuk, making those quiet trips, made life less lonely. 

That was another reason Taeyong had asked him to return to Korea and work with him. Taeyong, ever the mother hen, had been worried about Mark being alone for so long.

And Mark found the job more fulfilling than expected. He liked working with Kun and Yangyang, the other producers for the album and fellow vampires. He liked Kun’s kind patience and Yangyang’s well-meaning chaos. He soon became engrossed in the project, determined to make the perfect album for N-Dream. 

Jeno had freaked out when he found out Mark was working with N-Dream and grilled him about the members, even though Mark hadn’t even met the idols yet. Today would be the first time they were coming into the studio to record. 

The N-Dream members came to the studio in pairs. First it was the maknae Jisung and Jaemin, who looked as gorgeous as Jeno had described but must have been hopped up on caffeine because he wouldn’t stop pulling at poor Jisung’s cheeks. Then came the vocalists, Renjun and Chenle, both of whom laughed easily but became razor-sharp focused in the booth, running through their lines over and over until they were perfect. 

The recording session went smoothly, but it took more time than Mark expected. By the time he was waiting for the last member, he was on his second thermos of blood and it was already 2 am. 

“Haechan is going to be a bit late, he’s still tied up at dance practice,” the manager said apologetically, getting off the phone call with the missing last member.

Mark frowned. At this rate, he wouldn’t make it to see Donghyuk today. He took out his phone just as it buzzed for an incoming text. It was Donghyuk. 

“Sorry Mark hyung but I can’t make it today :(( raincheck?” it read. 

“It’s okay, Donghyuk-ah. I can’t come today either. Coffee tomorrow?” 

“Okay!” 

Mark smiled at the array of emojis Donghyuk sent and put his phone down. 

He was taking another sip when the studio door opened, and a figure entered. 

“Sorry I’m late. I got held up at practice,” the figure said, tugging off the bucket hat. “Hello, producer-nim…”

Mark looked up to see… Donghyuk? His grip on the thermos jerked in surprise and blood sloshed over the desk. 

As Mark desperately tried to mop up the slosh of blood with tissues, he looked at the figure that looked like Donghyuk, but also not.

It was Donghyuk but in fitted trousers and white long-sleeved shirt instead of the puffy parka and sweatpants. Long sparkly earrings dropped from his ears and he could see a brush of shadow and glitter over his lids. His face was uncovered from a mask for once, showing his mouth that had dropped open at the sight of Mark. 

Donghyuk pointed at Mark, staring wide-eyed at the elder sitting in front of the recording booth.

Neither of them spoke, caught in their surprise. It was the manager who broke the silence. “Oh, Haechan-ah you’re here! Say hello to our producer Mark Lee. He’s one of the producers working on the album.” 

“Haechan?” Mark exclaimed.

“Producer?” Donghyuk yelped. “I thought you were a rich freelancer or something!”

“And I thought you were an insomniac student!” Mark said. “I didn’t know you were Haechan!” 

Mark’s eyes met Donghyuk’s and they both burst out laughing. The manager scratched his head, confused, as he looked between the laughing idol and producer. 

“Hello, I’m Mark Lee, producer at UNDERCOVER studios,” Mark said, standing up. He reached out a hand and Donghyuk shook it smiling, his hand warm in Mark’s cold ones. 

Donghyuk straightened, put out a hand in front of him and said, “We are your dreamers! Hello, I’m Haechan of N-Dream!” He broke off into a giggle. 

The manager shook his head at their antics. He handed a wad of paper towels for Mark, took the bag slung over Donghyuk’s shoulders and ushered him into the booth. 

They took a break from recording as the manager left to get late-night snacks for Donghyuk. Donghyuk took off the headphones and sat on the grey sofa. 

“What a coincidence, huh?” Mark said, spinning in his chair to face Donghyuk. 

“Did you know?” Donghyuk asked. 

“No, I just found out right now.” 

“How come? Not to toot my own horn, but I _am_ recognizable. And you’re working on the album! Shouldn’t you know who you’re working with?” 

Mark ruffled his hair, chagrined. “I started working on the album as a favour to Taeyong hyung, I don't know a lot about idols yet.” 

“Huh,” Donghyuk said. “I thought you knew who I was when you mentioned Jaemin.”

“Ah, I had no idea.”

The manager returned, holding a bottle of water for Donghyuk. He gestured Donghyuk back into the booth, handing him the bottle and lyric sheet. Donghyuk fiddled with the headphones and adjusted the recording mic in front of him. It was strange, seeing Donghyuk be the professional idol, but it suited him. 

“Your voice is beautiful,” Mark said, half teasing, over the speakers. 

Donghyuk flashed him a grin, “I know” he said. Mark could see the red blush creeping up his neck despite his carefree tone and smiled. 

“Okay, let’s go again.” 

* * *

Now that Mark knew Donghyuk was an idol and Donghyuk knew he was a vampire, there was no sense of hiding. No need for the shifty ways Donghyuk would mention training and his fellow roommates and Mark didn’t have to vaguely pass every anecdote as “a long time ago.” It brought them closer together. 

They had a few more recording sessions, making last-minute tweaks to the songs. Instead of their late-night walks, Donghyuk would drop by his studio. Sometimes, he talked about a bit of choreo that he had trouble with, or to just take a breather amidst the chaos of comeback prep. Mark got used to finding Donghyuk lying on his sofa, sometimes in casual sweatpants or all done up with immaculately styled hair and glossy lips. 

Mark was nodding along as Donghyuk passionately told him an anecdote about Jisung and his lack of housekeeping skills. Apparently, the maknae had tried to do laundry and forgot to push in the detergent box so the laundry was just wet but not clean. Donghyuk’s face lit up when talking about his members and it was clear how much he loved them. 

Donghyuk was in casual mode today, his face bare and hair was loose. His lashes fluttered gently as he passionately gestured. He seemed to glow under the soft light of the studio and his lips looked soft. 

Mark was busy staring at Donghyuk to realize he had stopped talking about the maknae’s laundry misadventures. 

“What?” Donghyuk trailed off. He played with the earrings as he saw Mark staring at him.

Mark leaned closer to him. Donghyuk blinked rapidly at the sudden closeness, and Mark could hear his heartbeat pick up. Before he could second guess himself, he leaned in closer and pressed his lips against Donghyuk’s. 

His lips were as soft as it looked and tasted like the vanilla lip balm he was so fond of. He made a soft noise of surprise but before Mark could pull away, he wrapped his arms around Mark’s shoulders and pulled him closer into the kiss. 

After a moment, Mark gently pulled away. Donghyuk looked flustered, blush high on his cheeks, but he was smiling. 

“What was that?” Donghyuk whispered, his face still so close to Mark’s. 

“I like you, Donghyuk-ah” he whispered. 

“I… likeyoutoo,” Donghyuk mumbled. 

Mark heard it loud and clear with his supernatural hearing, but he leaned back. “Hmm? What did you say?” he asked teasingly. 

Donghyuk slapped him on the arm, grinning. “I like you too, Mark hyung you dork. Now, kiss me again.” 

* * *

Nothing changed much now that they are dating, except that Mark got to kiss Donghyuk. If anything, he saw less of Donghyuk as the clock ticked closer to the comeback date. The schedule had been released and the concept teasers were out. There were promotional interviews to film, posters to sign and performances to perfect. It was N-Dream’s first full-length album and everyone at NCT Entertainment were determined to make it a perfect release, especially the members themselves. 

So Mark was not expecting to see his boyfriend when Donghyuk burst into the studio late afternoon. 

“Mark hyung!” Donghyuk said excitedly, flinging himself down onto the sofa. He must have changed out of his practice clothes because he was in ripped jeans and a large hoodie. 

“Donghyuk? What are you doing here? I thought you had practice until 6 pm?” he asked, spinning around. 

“We got out early because of our immense talent and perfect formation” He made a V, grinning. “Nah, Taeyong hyung said we get the day off tomorrow! He doesn’t want us to burn out before the comeback even starts.” 

Before Mark could say anything else, Donghyuk asked, “Can we go to your house, hyung?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the dorms?”

“Yeah, but all the members are going to be there. And I’ve never been to your house” he pouted. “Please?” 

On one hand, he wanted Donghyuk to relax and have his day off at the dorms sleeping. But on the other hand, this was his boyfriend, his gorgeous boyfriend, wanting to spend time with him. He was too cute to resist. 

“Okay sure,” Mark said. Donghyuk made a sound of triumph and pulled Mark up from the chair. “Come on, come on, I want to go!”

As the elevator shot up towards his apartment, Mark desperately wondered if the house was clean. He had been in a rush that afternoon, having slept late, and he didn’t know if he had tidied up the living room. Or his bedroom. Mark hoped he had.

Donghyuk made a whistling noise of appreciation as they stepped into Marks’ apartment. “Fancy,” he said. 

Mark shrugged. Living for hundreds of years had perks, including interest and investments. 

Donghyuk toed off his shoes and made his way into the living room. He looked around at the large blue sofa in the middle of the room and the shelves lined with rare LPs and records. He ran his fingers over them and noticed N-Dream’s 2021 Season’s Greetings calendar on the shelves, where a large picture of Haechan was winking at them. 

“Hah, didn’t know you were such a fan,” he teased. “Buying Season’s Greetings means you’re in too deep y’know. Not a casual fan anymore.” 

“Jeno had extras for the photocards,” Mark laughed softly, looking at the winking Haechan on the calendar. “You look beautiful though,” he said. “Orange hair suits you.” With the orange hair and his golden tan, he glowed under the summer sun. 

“That’s true,” Donghyuk said smiling at the compliment. He moved into the kitchen as Mark sat on the sofa, looking at the photo. 

Mark was turning the pages on the calendar when he heard Donghyuk open the fridge. “Mark?” he said. His voice was high in surprise. “What are those?” 

“Hmm?” Mark didn’t have much in the kitchen, let alone the fridge. He just needed someplace to store the blood bags. _Oh._

Mark saw Donghyuk pointing at the blood bags and bottled blood next to a stray bottle of Gatorade. 

“Oh, that’s just the blood. I got restocked just last night. AB,” he said. “My favourite!” 

“You’re a vampire?” Donghyuk shouted in shock. 

“You didn’t know? I thought you knew!” Mark said, closing the fridge door before it could beep at them.

“What?”

“I thought you knew! I spilt blood in front of you the day we met at the studio! And -” Mark gestured at his golden eyes. 

“I thought it was pomegranate juice or something! It’s good for your skin, you know,” Donghyuk sniffed, looking a little embarrassed. “And everyone wears contacts these days. You work at an idol company!” 

Mark chuckled. “Yeah, and my brother is Taeyong. You know, the vampire who runs the company?” 

“When you called Lee Taeyong, _Hyung,_ I thought you guys were just close! I didn't realize you’re a vampire!” 

Mark smiled at Donghyuk’s indignant protests and tugged him into a hug. “Does it bother you?” he asked. 

Donghyuk shook his head. “No, I’m just embarrassed I didn’t notice it earlier” he pouted. He leaned into the hug, then looked up at Mark. “Can I see your fangs?” Donghyuk asked. 

Mark bared his teeth so that sharp fangs showed. 

“ _Wow._ ” 

“Are you scared?” 

“No. If you were going to eat me, you'd have done it early. And you’re still the dork who doesn’t know what Netflix is.” Donghyuk lightly punched his shoulder. 

“Hey, I know what Netflix is!” Mark knew now, but during the first weeks, Donghyuk had teased him about not knowing what “Netflix and chill” was. He had to ask Ten about it. (Ten had laughed in his face for a solid minute but let him use his account.)

Donghyuk ignored him, studying Mark’s sharp fangs and golden eyes. He leaned closer and put a finger up against the tooth. Before Mark could warn him of the sharpness of the fangs, a droplet of blood bloomed on Donghyuk’s finger.

“Ow!” Donghyuk quickly put his finger in his mouth, almost automatically, without realizing what he had done. 

The scent of blood burst into the air. Mark stared at Donghyuk’s finger in his mouth, transfixed. He wondered if he tasted as sweet as he smelled.

He leaned in closer to capture his mouth into a kiss. He could taste the tang of the blood as he pressed his lips against Donghyuk.

Donghyuk made a soft keening noise, leaning onto the kitchen island. As Mark broke away from the kiss, he raised a hand to caress his cheeks, rubbing the side of his face softly.

Donghyuk’s lips were plump from the kiss, and his pupils were blown wide as he stared at Mark. His heartbeat was racing.

Without a word, Donghyuk grinned and pulled him down for another kiss.

* * *

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Jeno said, looking up at the large screen showing N-Dream in all their smiling glory. A large “Dream A Dream” banner flew above them. A crowd of people mingled past them, from busy staff members to fans lining up for the comeback showcase. 

Mark laughed but he couldn't hide the fluttery feeling in his stomach either. Today would be the first time he would see Donghyuk on stage as the idol Haechan, performing the songs he helped to make. 

They made their way through the crowd to find their seats, walking past fans with slogans and pickets. He fist-bumped Yangyang as he made his way to Taeyong and Jaehyun. Taeyong was smiling, so different from the expressionless CEO others were used to, which made people double-take when they pass him. He was holding a holographic fabric slogan and the Neo-bong and looked more like a fan rather than their boss. 

“You must be proud of them,” Mark said, siding into the seat next to him. He knew Taeyong had been personally involved in the formation of the group and he had been seeing the kids grow since elementary school. Taeyong had always been so sentimental. 

Taeyong smiled widely, showing the pointy fangs. He squeezed Mark’s hand. “I am,” he said. “They’ve all come so far.” 

A hush fell over the venue as the lights dimmed. Then, with the starting beats of the new title track, the members entered the stage. 

The title track for the album “Dream A Dream” was of a youthful and refreshing concept, focusing on their group identity of dream and the endless possibility that came with it. It was a perfect spring-summer release, a song that made people get up and dance along. 

Mark couldn’t take his eyes off Donghyuk. He was born to be on stage, to be adored and applauded by thousands as he danced and sang with his honey-sweet voice. He was glowing under the bright limelights and Mark fell in love again. 

After the showcase, Mark and Jeno found themselves backstage, saying hello to others who helped make the comeback happen.

The backstage rooms were a hectic mess, from the stylists hanging up their stage outfits to the makeup artists handing out makeup wipes. 

Jeno walked straight up to Jaemin, all calm and collected like he hadn’t been screaming into Mark’s ear a half an hour ago, and told him he liked the showcase. With his eye smile that no one was immune too, he asked: “Can you sign my album?” Jaemin nodded, staring at Jeno like he had been bewitched. 

Mark shook his head and laughed at Jeno’s antics and handed flowers to Renjun, Chenle and Jisung. The maknaes bickered that their bouquet was better and Renjun led them away to get their pictures taken.

Donghyuk walked into the room, his eyes lighting up when he met Mark’s across the room. “Mark hyung!” he exclaimed, running up to him. Even though he had just been dancing and singing for 2 hours on stage, he was full of energy, running off the concert-high. “What did you think? Weren’t we so cool?”

“Donghyuk-ah, you did amazing!” he said, handing him the bouquet, red blooms that match the bright cherry of Donghyuk’s newly dyed hair. 

Donghyuk beamed and jumped into his arms and squeezed him into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

Then he pulled Mark towards where the other members were standing. “Come on, I’ll introduce you! Guys, this is Mark hyung-“ 

* * *

Mark shuffled nervously as Ten and Donghyuk stared at each other. Taeyong had already made himself at home at Mark’s apartment, rummaging around the kitchen for blood bags. Jaehyun was sitting on the couch, talking to Johnny. 

It was the first time Donghyuk was meeting Ten and Johnny, and he desperately wanted them to get along. 

Ten was his brother and Mark loved him with all his heart. But he was also a force to be reckoned with. With silver-blue hair and the all-black get up, he looked especially sharp. Ten raised an eyebrow at Mark and Donghyuk standing at the entrance. 

Donghyuk stepped forward, smiling. “Hi, I’m Donghyuk, Mark’s boyfriend.” 

Ten stared at Donghyuk for a second. Then he grinned, his fangs popping out. He ignored the hand Donghyuk held out and wrapped him into a hug. “Hi!” he exclaimed. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Ten, Mark’s favourite hyung!” 

“Hey!” Taeyong yelled, poking his head out the kitchen. He had found a blood bag and was sticking a straw into it. “I’m his favourite!” 

Ten ignored him and tugged Donghyuk into the room. “Come on, I’ll tell you so many embarrassing stories about Mark. He was ridiculous in the 19th century, did you know?”

“Hey!” Mark said, toeing off his shoes and following them into the room. 

All his worries flew out the window as he looked at Donghyuk and Ten laughing. Soon, Mark’s apartment was full of sound as they poured over the board game, Johnny moderating the game with exaggerated elegance. Donghyuk was giggling as Ten and Taeyong fought over who cheated, and Jaehyun’s belly-deep laugh rang through the room.

As Mark laughed at the chaos, a feeling of warmth filled him. Maybe eternity was long and lonely. But he had his family. 

Mark leaned onto Donghyuk’s side. _I’ll stick around in Korea for a while_ , he thought. 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy (late) valentine's day! I wanted to get something up before spring semester.
> 
> This was a result of watching so many kdramas recently. Also. vampires. A third way through writing I realized there was no real need for Mark to be a vampire but idk I started this as a vampire fic, so he's still a vampire! In this world, vampires aren't common but still known. 
> 
> Also, @ sm pls give us 7dream’s first full length studio album PLEASE. It's been 4 years now.
> 
> Find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/jadeparabatai) ♡


End file.
